Himalayan Doko

Sakina Grill, Famous For Feeding Homeless D.C. Residents, Receives Massive GoFundMe Boost | Eater DC

"I found that Sakina Halal Grill, a South Asian restaurant in downtown D.C. owned by Kazi Mannan, was on the verge of closing before a GoFundMe launched on November 12 raised more than $237,647 from over 5,100 donors toward a $250,000 goal in its first six days after being featured on GoFundMe’s main page. Since Mannan bought the restaurant in 2015 he maintained an open-door policy for people experiencing homelessness—serving an estimated 20,000 free meals in five years—from a Pakistani, Nepalese, and Indian menu, but COVID-19 devastated the business: downtown foot traffic and the 9-to-5 lunch rush disappeared, daily sales fell to roughly $500 while lease and operating costs ran about $45,000 per month, and he had to suspend free meals. The funds will be used to pay down debts and operational costs so Sakina can stay open and resume serving free meals in December, and Mannan is filing paperwork to launch the Food & Faith Foundation early next year and plans to donate any leftover GoFundMe money to it; throughout the campaign he expressed deep gratitude, saying he had gone from tears of fear to tears of joy." - Tim Ebner